Where the Rose Petals Fall
by Street Mouse
Summary: One sleepless night after a fight with Adam, Belle wanders the castle and learns a horrible secret about Adam. ::A short crossover story::


Belle woke up on the floor. She slowly sat up and looked around. It only took her a second to remember what happened. She and Adam got into a fight. Again. He hit her and when she fell her head hit the table and she was knocked unconscious.

Belle reached up and touched her forehead. There was a cut, but it wasn't bleeding and didn't hurt. She must have been out for a while. She stood up and made her way across the library. Her heels clicking against the marble floor was the only sound she could hear. _Everyone must be asleep, _she thought.

Belle didn't wander the castle alone very much; mostly because the prince had so many servants it was rare not to come across at least one of them everywhere she went. As Belle wandered back to the room she and Adam shared, she couldn't help feeling uneasy. There was something unsettling about the castle at night. She gathered the skirt of her dress in her hand and quickened her pace.

When she finally made it to the bedroom, she found Adam asleep. She walked over to the side of the bed and looked down at him.

"Adam, wake up!" Belle demanded harshly. When he didn't, she gripped his shoulder and shook him.

Adam looked up at her and let out a small cry of surprise. "Belle?"

"Oh, I'm sorry. Did I scare you?" Belle asked sarcastically. She crossed her arms over her chest. "Why did you leave me lying on the floor in the library?"

Adam stared at her. "I-"

Belle held up her hand to cut him off. "Sometimes you can be so inconsiderate."

She stormed over to her side of the bed and got in, not bothering to change out of her dress. She kicked off her shoes and pulled the blanket up over her. Belle stared up at the ceiling as she waited to become sleepy, but it didn't happen. She wasn't sure how long she lied there, but she eventually became restless. She looked over at Adam, but he was asleep.

Adam looked peaceful and calm when he was asleep- not at all like when he was awake. Things had started out so well after the spell had been broken; but after a few months his "beast" personality came back. He couldn't control his temper and was constantly starting fights with Belle. More than once, Belle thought maybe she should leave. But, she knew the man that was deep down inside him and she knew he could be that man again.

Movement caught Belle's eye, distracting her from her thoughts. A shadow crept across the room and stopped at the edge of the bed. As Belle watched, it looked like a man emerged from the shadow and leaned over Adam. Belle squeezed her eyes shut and shook her head. She was seeing things; shadows didn't move on their own. Perhaps she was more tired than she thought.

She rolled over and wrapped the blanket tightly around herself. She felt so very cold. Why did Adam insist on keeping the temperature so low in the castle? Every room had a fire place, including theirs; why didn't he ever use them? Belle got out of bed and walked across the room to the fireplace. She knelt down in front of it and reached for the small chest beside it where they kept the matches. She frowned when she opened it and realized it was empty.

Belle decided since she couldn't sleep, she may as well go on the hunt for some matches. But, as she wandered from one room to the next, she found nothing. A small shiver ran through her and she rubbed her arms.

"Belle? What are you doing?"

Belle spun around to find Adam walking towards her. "Looking for matches to light the fire. I'm so cold."

"I know you are," Adam said quietly. He then hesitantly reached out and took her hand. His skin felt hot against hers, but it didn't seem to warm her hand up. "Come back to bed."

Belle let Adam lead her back to the bedroom. They got in bed and Adam pulled her into his arms. This felt strange to Belle since he never really showed any kind of physical affection. But, he was warm and she wanted to soak up his body heat, so she didn't say anything.

Adam, as usual, was asleep in seconds. But, Belle still couldn't fall asleep. How late was it? She wondered if Lumiere or Mrs. Potts or any of the other servants were awake so she could sit and talk with them for a while. She slipped out of bed and began another search through the castle. At first, she didn't see any sign of anyone. But, when she passed another corridor, she noticed someone walking down it.

"Hello?" Belle called out. From this distance, she couldn't tell who it was. She started after them. "Hello?" The person kept walking and didn't turn around. Belle picked up her pace until she caught up with them. "Hi there!" she greeted cheerfully.

The person turned around to face Belle. She was a young woman with dirty blonde hair, pale skin and blue eyes. Her dress was plain and slightly tattered. Belle had never seen her before, but with so many servants, she knew it was possible there would be at least one she hadn't met yet.

The woman stared at her, but didn't say anything.

"Hello," Belle said again.

"You can see me?" the woman asked.

Belle wasn't sure what to make of that question. "Of course I can see you; you're standing right in front of me. I mean, I know it's dark in here, but it's not _that _dark."

"You never saw me before."

Belle couldn't help feeling a little guilty. "I'm sorry. There are just so many servants around here that I guess I don't notice each and every one of you. What's your name?"

"Cinderella."

"It's nice to meet you."

Cinderella gave Belle a small smile. "It's nice to finally meet you, princess."


End file.
